TL;DR

• The Core of NVIDIA’s Business

• Donald Trump’s Stock Market Success

• India’s Global Energy Tech AI Innovation Hub

• and more…

TECHNOLOGY

The Chips behind NVIDIA’s success

Nvidia's H100 chip has caused quite a stir in the tech industry. This graphics processor, costing $25,000 to $40,000, is designed to handle vast amounts of data and computations at lightning speed. Its introduction has boosted Nvidia's value by over $1 trillion.

The H100 has been optimized specifically for AI tasks, making it ideal for training complex AI models. Customers are clamoring for the H100, with wait times stretching up to 6 months.

Despite efforts from competitors like AMD and Intel, Nvidia continues to maintain a stronghold, due to its hardware and comprehensive ecosystem.

Looking ahead, Nvidia's trajectory appears promising. With successors like the H200 in the pipeline and CEO Jensen Huang's advocacy for AI adoption, the company is poised for continued success.

Beyond Slow-Mo: Camera Breaks Limit

The world of high-speed photography just got a whole lot faster. Researchers in Canada have developed SCARF, the new king of cameras, clocking in at a mind-boggling 156.3 trillion frames per second.

For comparison, your high-end phone might manage a slow-motion mode of a few hundred frames per second. This is a significant leap from the previous fastest camera, which maxed out at 70 trillion frames per second.

This technology uses laser pulses and computational imaging to build a complete picture from light interacting with the target at different times.

The SCARF System

Researchers can now witness events like light absorption in semiconductors or metal demagnetization in unprecedented detail.

SCARF paves the way for future advancements. Imagine capturing the movement of light particles or chemical reactions inside a battery or visualising biological processes at cellular levels. It offers a glimpse into the future of ultra-fast imaging, and its applications are exciting and far-reaching.

Supersonic Travel

Boom Supersonic, an innovative company, just completed a test flight of its XB-1 supersonic jet, bringing supersonic travel a step closer to reality.

Here's the exciting part: the XB-1 is blazing fast. We're talking about flying at Mach 2.2, or over twice the speed of sound! Imagine cutting your travel time from New York to London, a 7 hour flight to just 3 hours!

Boom’s Flight Times

While Boom hasn't revealed exact ticket prices, they expect them to be comparable to business class on private jets. Boom's real goal is the Overture, a commercial airliner expected to take flight in the late 2020s.

On the flip side, there are some environmental concerns. Sonic booms, the loud cracks generated by supersonic aircraft, can be disruptive.

Overall, the XB-1 test flight is a significant step towards making supersonic travel a reality again. Boom promises to revolutionize long-haul flights. So, keep an eye on the skies – the future of travel may be speeding towards us!

FINANCE

Robinhood Unveils Groundbreaking Credit Card 

On Tuesday, Robinhood unveiled its inaugural credit card, introducing a range of premium benefits such as a newly introduced travel portal granting 5% cash back on purchases and 3% cash back on all other transactions.

This unexpected move by a trading platform company is a significant departure from the norm. CEO Vladmir Tenev has boldly stated their intention to make a substantial impact in the credit card market.

Robinhood shares skyrocketing

Following the credit card announcement, Robinhood saw its shares rise 4% in afternoon trading, reaching their highest level since December 2021.

Robinhood’s future looks bright. Forget the stock rally; it's not everyday we encounter a credit card devoid of annual or foreign transaction fees!

Trump Media and Technology Group stock surges

Donald Trump’s Media and Technology Group which operates Truth Social gained 16% in the first day of its trading as a public company.

The company has consented to go public through a merger with a blank-check special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

Trump, possessing 78.9 million shares in Trump Media, constituting roughly 60% of its total stock, has amassed a nest egg of approximately $5.6 billion from the company.

Disparities in Social Media Valuations per user

What’s surprising is that despite being valued at $8 billion, it incurred losses of $40 million over the past year, with a revenue of only $4.6 million—less than half of what an average Cheesecake Factory restaurant generates. 

Blackrock’s Larry Fink on the retirement crisis

In a CNBC interview, Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock, shared his optimism about the younger generation's capabilities and their global understanding compared to previous generations.

However, he also highlighted a pressing issue—the looming retirement crisis. 66% of U.S. retirees believe the country faces a retirement crisis, with 40% fearing they'll outlive their savings. Fink called for a concerted effort from both the government and the private sector to address this challenge.

Median, Average, and Recommended American Savings

Fink's insights highlight a critical juncture for retirement planning, pointing to the need for innovative solutions that not only ensure financial security for retirees but also leverage the strengths and global understanding of the younger generation.

SUSTAINABILITY

US Department of Energy’s $6 Billion Pledge

The DOE unveiled $6 billion for 33 projects spanning over 20 states aimed at decarbonizing energy-intensive industries, cutting industrial greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing manufacturing.

This marks the largest industrial decarbonization investment in U.S. history, which could also reduce pollution by 14 million metric tons annually, equivalent to removing 3 million gas-powered vehicles from the roads.

Renewable Energy Cost Trends: A Visual Journey

Furthermore, favorable trends, as shown above, suggest decreasing generation costs in the US over time, potentially amplifying the impact of the DOE's recent $6 billion investment.

SEW Opens Pioneering Energy Tech Hub in India

SEW, a renowned pioneer in Energy & Water AI Cloud Platform solutions, joyfully unveils the establishment of its Global Energy Tech AI Innovation Hub in Noida, India.

Centered on transforming Customer Experience (CX) and Workforce Experience (WX) within the energy and utilities industry, SEW's cloud platforms utilize AI and ML to empower energy and water providers.

Perhaps, most notably, in line with India's drive toward electric mobility, SEW intends to set up numerous manufacturing facilities for global chargers and batteries, generating employment.

India’s EV Market CAGR

Promising market trends, indicate a positive environment for SEW’s projects.

Hydrogen Production using Loofahs

The humble bathroom loofah, may hold the key to revolutionizing green hydrogen production, as revealed by a recent study by researchers at Bournemouth University.

Researchers combined this natural bath sponge with nano-sized silver donuts to create a catalyst capable of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen with the application of an electrical current.

Loofahs powered by Nano-Donuts

This breakthrough is a promising avenue for low-cost and sustainable hydrogen production from renewable sources.

While electrocatalysis offers a sustainable approach to hydrogen production, current methods utilizing platinum as a catalyst prove expensive.

The study's findings not only demonstrate the potential of unconventional materials in catalysis, but also highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research in addressing complex energy and environmental challenges

STAT OF THE WEEK